Various And Sundry

The post's title is an idiom meaning "miscellaneous".  On the other hand, "sun-dry" might refer to what you might do to tomatoes.  (How soon before the hyphen disappears, or has it already?)  Some things I've run across today, current or otherwise:

As Venezuela continues to deteriorate, one way of leaving the place is no longer available.

Here's one endorsement that Donald Trump (hopefully) will not welcome.

Those Swedes just can't figure out why they've suddenly gotten a male surplus.  (H/T luchadora)

In Cincinnati, the great gorilla kerfluffle.

That gorilla was killed to save the life of a white kid, right?  Uh, no.

Insulting the Turkish president brings a suspended sentence.

Israel tries to revamp their terrorism laws.

An Israeli editorial says, "Let girls play."

ISIS uses Fallujah civilians just about how you'd expect them to.

Kurdish-led forces have some success against ISIS.

Russian airstrikes allegedly kill children in a hospital.

UN peacekeepers in Central African Republic have horribly abused children.

The latest Nork missile launch fails.

The Libertarian Party nominee's position on illegal immigrants looks no better than what I've seen from other politicians.

Glenn Beck gets suspended.

How a kidnapped Mexican soccer star freed himself.

Once again, migrants allegedly grope women in Germany.

You can now get your very own Micro Bit.

Here's one more reason to avoid smoking (or to quit).

A flesh-eating disease is ravaging people in the Middle East (not for the squeamish).

Due to the FDA, potato chips (or "potatoe chips", according to a certain former VP) might not taste the same.

To wrap it up, while fishing, a man makes a very unusual catch.

Catoctin Furnace

In Maryland, just off U.S. highway 15 between Frederick and Thurmont, is Catoctin Furnace.  This name refers to both the furnace itself and the surrounding unincorporated community.  The furnace was originally constructed in 1774 and was used to make cannonballs during the Revolutionary War.  Over the years, three furnace units were built at the site, but only the second one remains.  The furnace was closed in 1903.

I've visited the site several times and taken some pictures, but not with my most recent (and only digital) camera.  The open area in front of the furnace includes several trees, whose presence in my pictures is pretty much inevitable.  In this shot, the section in which the iron was produced, which is shaped like a truncated pyramid, is behind an open section having a wooden roof.

Further back are some stone walls.  U.S. 15 is somewhere behind them.

On a small hill just north of the furnace are the ruins of the iron master's house.

Here are the ruins from a different angle.

A trail connects the furnace and iron master's house to an entrance of Cunningham Falls State Park.  Along the way is this bridge over Little Hunting Creek.

The trail also includes a bridge over U.S. 15, which you see here, looking northward.

The bridge was appropriately decorated for Memorial Day.

I retraced my steps back to the furnace and took another picture of it, and a tree trunk.

To learn more, go to Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, Maryland Historic District and Atlas Obscura.

"Controlling Grammar"

In the aftermath of the 2011 shootings in Tuscon Arizona, in which the best-known victim was then-Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D), some information gradually came out about some things that the shooter apparently believed.  One idea he reportedly had was that the government was somehow "controlling grammar".  As recalled in The Christian Science Monitor:

“The government is implying [sic] mind control and brainwash on the people by controlling grammar," an individual widely thought to be Loughner writes in a Youtube video.

Loughner is the shooter's last name.  This quote appears to be itself quoted from another source, but TCSM does not mention or link any particular source, other than to credit The Arizona Republic as the source of an accompanying photo.  As also noted by TCSM, Loughner (or the person thought to be him) does not describe how controlling grammar is done.  Nor does he specify which government, as in federal, state or local, he thought was doing this.

How then, if you wanted to control grammar, would you go about doing so?  I would say that the answer to this question has come from the government of New York City, which requires businesses and landlords to use certain pronouns if a worker or tenant requests them, and levies heavy fines for not using them.  Read the details at the New York Post, MRC TV and Life Site.  While I'm not a linguistics expert, I do know that pronoun use is an aspect of grammar.  This means that if you're regulating pronouns, you are indeed controlling grammar.  Congrats, New York.  You've made, at least in a sense, one of the Tuscon shooter's weird ideas into reality.

Friday Links

As the Memorial Day weekend closes in, here are some things going on out there:

From Fortune, the superbug is here.

From Reuters, Britain tells the G7 to do more to fight superbugs.

From BBC News, schools in Northern Ireland face bomb threats and hoaxes.

From the Daily Mail, in Iran, 30 students are arrested and flogged for attending a mixed-gender graduation party.

From The Washington Free Beacon, Hillary Clinton's deceit over her emails is called "mind-boggling".

From National Review, Hillary Clinton's style of deception "is more insidious than Trump's".

From Townhall, the rules don't seem to apply to Hillary.

From Real Clear Politics, the small group of staffers who surround Hillary.

From the Daily Star, a Danish woman fighting in Syria calls ISIS fighters "very easy to kill".

From Breitbart London, a church in Germany holds an Islamic funeral for an ISIS fighter.

From FrontpageMag, what President Obama appears to have overlooked about Ho Chi Minh.

From WGN, in Hiroshima, Obama calls for a "world without nuclear weapons".  (There's been no reaction yet from the Iranian leadership.)

From UPI, more on Obama's visit to Hiroshima.

From the Prague Daily Monitor, according to a Czech think tank, 44% of European Muslims are "fundamentalist".

From the Express, migrants brawl in the "Calais Jungle".

From PressTV, Turkey's foreign minister calls American behavior "two-faced".

From Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey's foreign minister complains about Kurdish patches worn by American troops.  (via Business Insider)

From Wired, the smart watering system for your lawn.

From WUIS, the Hokule'a sails around the world, navigating by the stars.

From Medical Xpress, a "new model" of how T-cells are activated.

From The Times Of Israel, the politicians bicker, but not about Elton John.

From the Washington Examiner, 21 famous people buried in Arlington National Cemetery that you might not know about.

From Woman's World, the weird demands made by divas (not all of whom are female).

And from the New York Post, this little girl might be the world's youngest water-skier.

AP: Trump Clinches GOP Nomination

Fellow right-wingers, the shrill and obnoxious noise that is now torturing your ears is the proverbial fat lady singing.  According to the Associated Press, Donald Trump now has 1238 delegates, one more than necessary to clinch the Republican nomination.  The story has been reproduced by the New York Post, but the original may be read here.

Anti-Trump Protest Turns Violent

Last night in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a protest against Donald Trump (R-NY) turned violent, as some protesters lit T-shirts on fire, threw rocks and bottles, broke a glass door at the convention center where Trump was speaking, and jumped onto police vehicles.

Read more at CNN, BBC News, The Hill and ABC News.

Baltimore Cops Sue State's Attorney

The fallout continues from the actions taken against six Baltimore police officers charged with offenses in relation to the death of suspect Freddie Gray.  This story comes via the Independent from The Baltimore Sun, according to which:

Two officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray are suing Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby for defamation and invasion of privacy, court records show.

Sgt. Alicia White and Officer William Porter, who are both facing charges of involuntary manslaughter in the 25-year-old's death last April, filed the lawsuit against Mosby, Baltimore Sheriff's Office Maj. Sam Cogen, and the state of Maryland in Baltimore Circuit Court on May 2, records show.

The officers claim Mosby and Cogen knew the statement of charges filed against the officers and other statements made by Mosby at her May 1, 2015, news conference announcing the charges "were false."

Read the full story.

Bill Cosby To Stand Trial

Actor, comedian and pudding pitch-man Bill Cosby has been ordered to stand trail on three sexual assault charges stemming from an alleged incident at his home near Philadelphia in 2004.  At the time, his accuser was an employee of his alma mater, Temple University.

Read more at USA Today, CNN, BBC News and Reuters.

As reported by KTRH, before Cosby arrived at the courthouse, the MSNBC anchor covering the story got him mixed up with another Bill.  Considering the alleged behavior of both Bills, I'd say that the mix-up was quite understandable.

A Few More Stories

Some things in the news today, other than the previously posted end of the U.S. arms embargo on Vietnam:

Investigators analyzing flight data from EgyptAir Flight 804 are looking at a four-minute period.

A Lufthansa flight out of Munich was diverted due to a passenger apparently going crazy.

ICE officials seem to have figured out how to deal with transgender illegal aliens.

Pope Francis meets with an Egyptian Grand Imam.

The record 499 Syrian refugees admitted into the United States in May are all from one religion.

Meanwhile back in Syria, some people are getting ready to fight against ISIS.

Muslims attack Yazidis - in Germany.

Before anyone wants to call today's acquittal of a Baltimore cop, charged in the death of Freddie Gray, an act of racism, they should first acquaint themselves with the judge.

The cop now faces the battle to regain his reputation.

President Obama signs legislation to remove two words from government use.

Virginia's governor has been under FBI investigation.

How bad are things in Venezuela?  This bad.

Commuting on the Washington, DC Metro will soon be even uglier than usual.

Some say you can't fight City Hall, but if you're a peregrine falcon, you can build your nest there.

Obama Ends Arms Embargo On Vietnam

While in Vietnam, President Obama announced that he is lifting the decades-long arms embargo against that country.  Future proposed arms sales will be evaluated on a "case-by-case" basis.  Obama denied that the move was in response to China's posture in the region.

Read more at UPI, BBC News, Reuters, Politico and USA Today.

United States Reduces CO2 Emissions, Europe Doesn't

When it comes to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the United States has been doing a better job than Europe, even while the latter has had large "green energy" subsidies and a cap-and-trade scheme.  From The Daily Caller:

The European Union’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rose in 2015 while American emissions fell, despite Europe’s environmentally conscious and progressive image, analysis by The Daily Caller News Foundation has found.

The EU’s 2015 CO2 emissions increased by 0.7 percent relative to 2014, while U.S. emissions fell to its lowest level in two decades. The EU has spent an estimated $1.2 trillion financially supporting wind, solar and bio-energy and an incalculable amount on a cap-and-trade scheme to specifically lower CO2 emissions.

I'm dismayed to learn that one of my ancestral counties, Slovakia, is the worst culprit among the European countries for which data is available.  The overall comparison between the U.S. and Europe, I would say, begs a question.  What is the point of government interventions when better results can be achieved without them?  Read the full story, and look at the maps.

Friday Links

As the weekend gets closer, here are some things going on:

From WUIS, Taiwan has elected their first female president.

From the Express, the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport has been evacuated after a "suspicious package" was found at the EgyptAir check-in area, and a riot breaks out in a camp for migrants in Greece.

From The Guardian, a Syrian refugee wins an appeal against being deported to Turkey.

From the Daily Mail, a British man who planned to travel to Syria, thus abandoning his family, is sentenced to 8 years and 3 months.

From the International Business Times, a Malaysian man suspected of supporting ISIS was a flight engineer in his country's air force.

From the Malaysia Digest, this might be the world's only Islamic Smartphone.

From the Dhaka Tribune, a Bangla Deshi lawmaker refuses to apologize for humiliating a teacher who had "insulted Islam".

From The Local NO, a woman allowed to use a bathroom in a mosque in Oslo allegedly tried to set the place on fire.

In National Review, Jonah Goldberg asks, "Who are the real deniers of science?"

In FrontpageMag, Ari Lieberman asks, "What caused the downing of EgyptAir Flight 804?"

From Fox News, Hampden-Sydney College reverses its previous decision against re-hiring Lt. General Jerry Boykin.

From the Kashmir Observer, Iraq asks Jordan to extradite Saddam Hussein's daughter.

From CBS Chicago, the head of the TSA agrees to meet with local leaders.

From Reuters, the Oklahoma legislature calls for President Obama to be impeached over his transgender bathroom directive.

From American Thinker, the "grand pretension" of genderless marriage.

From MedicalXpress, a new tool has been published to help guide public health decisions involving the zika virus.

From CNN, a man in Nigeria might be "the world's most dapper squeegee man".

And from the New York Post, 400 Chefs in Naples, Italy teamed up to create the world's longest pizza.

Scaled-Up Baby Strollers

This story sounds like it should have come out on April 1st.  For all the big babies out there, a stroller company has produced an adult-sized stroller.  From the Huffington Post:

Many parents have looked fondly at their kiddos, nestled and comfortable in their strollers, and wished they could trade places and be that cozy while en route to their destination. 

While adult-sized baby strollers won’t be hitting the market any time soon, the Kolcraft baby products company has created a giant version of its Contours Bliss stroller that is big enough for parents to try out.

So if you want to see life from your kid's perspective, or you just need a mobile safe space, you might just want to get yourself one.  But first, read the full story.

EgyptAir Jet Crashes Into Mediterranean

In a story that broke late yesterday, an EgyptAir passenger jet flying from Paris to Cairo crashed into the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Egypt.  The plane reportedly swerved and descended sharply before dropping off radar.  There were 66 people on board.

Read more at the Financial Times, The Telegraph, the Mirror, CNN, BBC News and The Guardian.

Twin Brothers Charged In Pennsylvania Bombing Spree

When two sheds used by your community suddenly get blown up, it's only natural to feel like you've been terrorized.  You'd wonder who'd want to do such a thing.  You might speculate that some ISIS-wannabes or Tsarnaev brothers copycats are on the loose.  But in the case of a bombing spree that occurred in southeastern Pennsylvania last December, you'd have been wrong, except for the "brothers" part.  An investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police and the BATFE led to the alleged perpetrators, twin brothers who live in Cochranville, PA.

Read more at NBC10, The Unionville Times, WGAL, Philly(dot)com and PhillyMag.

Russian Goat Named After Obama

This story comes via the New York Post, from NBC News, according to whom:

 A Russian safari park has adopted a black goat named "Obama," calling the newest addition to their menagerie a "rare, exotic animal."

"Goat" in Russian is an insult used for obtuse, obstinate and headstrong people.

The Primorsky Safari Park obtained the animal from a farmer in Sochi who had named it after the U.S. president.

Perhaps an American zoo can respond in kind by naming an animal after Putin.  Read the full story.

I've also recently run across a story from The Moscow Times, which reports that in Tatarstan, an autonomous region in Russia, Obamka ice cream has gone on sale.  Since Slavic language nouns form diminutives by adding a suffix which includes the letter "k", the name "Obamka" translates as "Little Obama".

Climate Protesters Block Railroad

Climate activists in Washington state have deployed a new tactic in their anti-fossil fuel protests.  About 150 of them camped out on a railroad track near two oil refineries.  After being asked to leave around 5:00 a.m., 52 of them refused and were arrested.  Meanwhile in New York state, a group of kayak-borne activists attempted to block oil barges sailing on the Hudson River near Albany, until the U.S. Coast Guard herded them out of the way.  How many of the activists drove gasoline-powered cars or rode diesel-powered trains to arrive at their respective protests is not known.

Read more at ABC News, WTOP and the Daily Mail.

Bomb Scare At British Soccer Stadium

A soccer game in Great Britain between Manchester United and Bournemouth was called off after a suspicious package was found in the stadium.  The device was called "non-viable", but was destroyed in a "controlled explosion".

Read more at The Telegraph, the Sunday Express, the Daily Star Sunday, The Guardian and BBC Sport.

UPDATE:  The Telegraph, The Guardian and BBC Sport are now reporting that the fake bomb was left behind after a training exercise by a private security company.

Links For Friday The 13th

The dreaded date has rolled around again, but fortunately for the only time this year.  Besides black cats and Jason, here are some things to watch out for:

A pro-Trump super-PAC wants to raise $20 million before the GOP convention.

Trump (R-NY) himself says that whatever he says now is a "suggestion".

Trump says his tax returns are "none of your business".

Trump gets an endorsement from a fellow billionaire.

Trump's campaign considers blacklisting NeverTrump vendors.

The woman trying to primary Senator John McCain (R-AZ) hasn't always been staunchly pro-life.

Bill & Hill's foundation has given $2 million to a power company owned by wealthy blonde divorcée.

The Navy commander overseeing the boats which sailed into Iranian waters has been relieved of his duties.

An anti-counterfeiting group has admitted a member which allegedly markets counterfeit goods.

In the UAE, a maid is accused of using a special ingredient when preparing her employer's food.

In Pakistan, Muslims chase Christians from their homes.

Before being caught, one suspected ISIS terrorist liked to take selfies.

China plans to turn the city of Yinchuan into "World Muslim City".

How Islam indoctrinates women about sexuality.

No, keeping men out of women's bathrooms is not Jim Crow.

Two policemen have been shot in Manchester, New Hampshire (H/T to Sue from New Mexico)

On advice from the FBI, 71 aviation employees were "scrubbed" from TSA's no-fly list.  (H/T again to Sue)

The Russian Embassy in London catches flak for a Tweet about Syria.

A Belgian cabinet minister calls for a ban on the ritual slaughter of animals.

Here's a little southern style quid pro quo.

A publisher's Facebook page disappears after he criticizes the Turkish government.

A statue of Aphrodite is discovered in Jordan.

And finally, among those graduating from Virginia Tech today are a group of past and present football players.

Odessa, TX Realtor Reaches Out To Anti-Trumpers

Do you own a house in or around Odessa, Texas?  Do you plan to leave the United States if Donald Trump is elected president?  If you answered "yes" to both questions, a local realtor might be able to help you out.  From Chron:

Odessa realtor Michelle Blackwell’s latest ad reaches out to potential clients who plan to make good on their promise to leave the country if Donald Trump is elected president.

It’s a common threat every presidential election cycle, it seems, but it has really gained traction the past year since Trump made his presidential aspirations known.

If you think you might be interested in selling come this November, or you just want to know what's going on, read the full story.

Wyoming Farmer Gets To Keep His Pond

A man in Wyoming, facing $16 million in fines for building a pond on his own land, has worked out a deal with the EPA under which he will not be fined, and can keep the pond.  From Fox News:

A Wyoming man threatened with $16 million in fines over the building of a stock pond reached a settlement with the Environment Protection Agency, allowing him to keep the pond without a federal permit or hefty fine.

Andy Johnson, of Fort Bridger, Wyoming obtained a state permit before building the stock pond in 2012 on his sprawling nine-acre farm for a small herd of livestock.

Not long after contruction [sic], the EPA threatened Johnson with civil and criminal penalties – including the threat of a $37,500-a-day fine -- claiming he needed the agency's permission before building the 40-by-300 foot pond, which is filled by a natural stream.

To learn the conditions of the settlement, read the full story.

Links For Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there.  Here's what some of your progeny have been up to lately:

From Fox News, lawyers pour over Prince's estate.

From The Washington Free Beacon, Donald Trump (R-NY) thinks that when he negotiates with Democrats, taxes on the wealthy will go up.

From The Washington Times, while some rightwing groups might have problems with Donald Trump, gun owners do not.

From The Washington Post, in reversing a previous position, Trump would like to see an increase in the minimum wage, but thinks that it would best be done at the state level.

From the New York Post, Trump and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) are "the most despised candidates in history".

From Twitchy, supporters of Bernie Sanders (I-VT) don't like being told to "behave".

From The Jerusalem Post, a Syrian opposition group claims that Russia is establishing a military base in Palmyra, which they took from ISIS in March.  UPDATE:  In a related story from a few days ago in The New York Times, Russia sent an orchestra to Palmyra.

From Newsweek, ISIS bans the plus sign.  (Yes, they're that paranoid.)

From ARA News, ISIS throws a man off a building for alleged sodomy.

From YNetNews, a man who lost his wife in a terror attack speaks out after being snubbed by the U.N., and Martin Luther King III presents an award to Israeli activists working on behalf of Ethiopian Jews immigrating to Israel.

From the Daily Mail, a ICE officer in New York City dies after shooting himself.

Recode introduces its redesigned self.  (For one thing, they've gotten rid of the slash between "re" and "code".)

From Michelle Malkin's eponymous blog, Happy Mother's Day from two organizations that can prevent a woman from becoming a mother.

From The Columbus Dispatch, an imam from Somalia who allegedly lied on his naturalization application faces revocation of his American citizenship and deportation.

From Dawn, a Pakistani human rights activist is gunned down at a restaurant.

From Gatestone Institute, meet London's first Muslim mayor.

From SB Nation, some recently drafted NFL rookies can't fully train with their pro teams because their alma maters are still in session.

From the Chicago Sun-Times, some state legislatures seek limitations on cell-phone tracking technology.

And from TechCrunch, an app turns menu text into pictures.

Music Break

This time, I've got a few odd little numbers, for what I might call an eclectic mixture.  Leading off is Paul Kantner with The Baby Tree, from Blows Against the Empire, the science fiction concept album released in 1970, and credited to himself and Jefferson Starship.  The band having that name would not be founded until 1974.  The song was written by American folk singer Rosalie Sorrels, and performed by Kantner on vocals and banjo.

Suspect At Large After Maryland Shootings [Update: Now In Custody]

This morning, three people were shot at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, Maryland, and a woman was fatally shot at a food store in Aspen Hill, MD.  A man suspected in both shootings had allegedly killed his estranged wife at a high school Thursday night.  As of this posting, the suspect is still at large.

Read more at WJLA, WTOP, Fox5, Bethesda Magazine and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Patch.

UPDATE:  The suspect is now in custody.

Chicken In The News

Today's post is for the birds, you might say.  Here are two stories that each involve a prominent American-based chicken fast food chain:

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and some of his councilmen are calling for a city-wide boycott of Chik-fil-A, which is owned by a Christian family.  A few years back, the company's president Dan Cathy stated his belief that marriage is between a man and a woman.  In other words, he uttered the basic Christian doctrine on marriage, which is also something that left-wingers such as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton agreed with not too long ago.  Hizzoner, on the other hand, not only disagrees with the traditional Christian belief, but also apparently thinks that businesses whose owners espouse that belief should not be patronized.

Meanwhile in Hong Kong, Kentucky Fried Chicken (now better known by the acronym KFC) is taking the slogan "finger licking good" literally by coming out with chicken-flavored nail polish.  This means that you can lick the chicken flavor off your fingers, without even eating any chicken.

Stories From The GOP Campaign

Now that Ted Cruz has effectively withdrawn from this year's presidential campaign, Donald Trump becomes the presumptive GOP nominee.  Here are some related stories:

Writing in The Hill, Americans for Limited Government president Rick Manning (probably not this guy) tells Republicans to quit whining, because they've only got themselves to blame for Trump's emergence.

An editorial in the Boston Globe tells the #NeverTrump movement that it's now time to show that they're not bluffing.

From The Washington Post, former New Mexico governor and former Republican Gary Johnson, now running for the Libertarian Party nomination, asks #NeverTrumpers for their support.

From the New York Post, GOP chairman Reince Priebus kisses Trump's dupa.  Figuratively, I hope.

From Bizpac Review, John Kasich says "on to California!'

But on the other hand, according to CNBC, "sources" have indicated that Kasich will suspend his campaign later today.

And according to CNN, "two sources" say that Kasich will drop out.

Ted Cruz Suspends Campaign

On the GOP side, it looks like the fat lady is singing, or at least clearing her throat.  After losing to Donald Trump (R-NY) in the Indiana primary, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has suspended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.  Governor John Kasich (R-OH) thus becomes Trump's only remaining rival within their party.

Read more at The Washington Post, ABC News, Politico, the New York Post and KTAR.

Selfie Stick Shuts Down Roller Coaster

Disneyland's California Screamin' roller coaster was shut down for over an hour because someone on the ride pulled out.....drum roll, please.....a selfie stick.  The ride was evacuated, the offending device confiscated, and the ride later reopened.

Read more at FOX11, ABC7, KTLA and 4 Southern California.

Monday Links

As the workweek starts, here are some things going on out there:

From NewsBusters, when The Washington Post reported on a murder trial here in Maryland, they buried one little detail about the defendant in paragraphs 29 and 30.

From Fox News, there's something you might want to watch out for if you rent a place via Airbnb.

From the New York Post, here's another hazard of renting via Airbnb.

From LifeNews, abortionists lament the decline in demand.

From TechCrunch, the Oculus Rift is coming.

From The Jerusalem Post, some anti-ISIS fighters from Syria will be based in Jordan, and trained by Norwegian troops.

From Rudaw, the prime minister of the Kurdish Regional Government says "the political situation in Iraq is complicated."

From the Institute Of Economic Affairs, a  pro-Brexit book.

From First Coast News, a man asking women indecent questions is captured on video.  (via Breitbart's Big Government)

From Gatestone Institute, there's "no end in sight" for Europe's immigration crisis.

From ZNews, a British Hindu converts to Islam and then kidnaps sex slaves.

From NDTV, ISIS publishes a hitlist of U.S. military personnel.

From the Birmingham Mail, a Muslim automotive worker is fired for showing pictures of himself with an AK-47 to his co-workers.

From CNN, Mayday protesters in Seattle get violent, and Puerto Ricans flee the island at a record rate.

From FrontpageMag, President Obama has freed one member of the terror cell that attacked the U.S.S. Cole.

From National Review, a report on Obama's economy.

From Politico, a spokesman for Ted Cruz (R-TX) predicts that on the second ballot at the GOP convention, Donald Trump's (R-NY) stock "will collapse like Enron".

From CNS News, in Brazil, WhatsApp has been suspended.

From KDVS, an earthquake occurred this morning in western Kentucky.  (via Activist Post)

And from WGN, the Cubs get dressed up.

Fire Breaks Out In Orthodox Cathedral In New York

In midtown Manhattan today, the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava was engulfed by a fire, which firefighters were still fighting as of 8:00 p.m.  There was no one in the church at the time, and only one minor injury has been reported.  Sadly, this fire has occurred on the day of Orthodox Easter.

Read more at the New York Daily News, the New York Post, PIX11 and ABC7.